Mikel Arteta sent Arsenal sack warning out of the blue and told 'there's no excuse'

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney believes Arsenal could replace head coach Mikel Arteta if they fail to win the Premier League title this season.

The Gunners enjoyed an excellent weekend after eeking out a hard-fought 1-0 win at home to Crystal Palaceand seeing their expected title rivals falter. Sunday's result at the Emirates Stadium was further boosted by Liverpool's 3-1 defeat at Brentford on Saturday and Manchester City's 1-0 loss at Aston Villa.

Arteta's team are now seven points clear of Arne Slot's reigning top-flight champions and six points clear of City after nine games. There is now growing optimism in north London that Arsenal will end their 21-year wait for a league title after three successive runners-up finishes.

• Declan Rice breaks silence after injury with message to Arsenal fans following Mikel Arteta update
• Four new Arsenal injury blows for Mikel Arteta as Brighton replacement options emerge

Rooney, who won five league titles at United, has had his say on the Gunners' position. He believes Arteta can have no excuses if they do not deliver the top-flight crown this term - sharing his belief that the Spaniard may pay for it with his job if they fail.

"I think they can [win it], " he said on . "They've had those experiences which have got them close, but I think they're ready to do it.

“There’s no excuse. I think with the players they’ve brought in, there’s no excuse. If they don’t win it now, you will probably see a change of manager.”

Gary Neville, another Old Trafford icon, went even further. The former Red Devils full-back is proclaiming that Arsenal have one hand on the title already.

"This has got to be them, hasn't it? This has got to be their year," he told the Gary Neville Podcast.

"This is the fourth season on the bounce that I've had them to win the league, but they're not necessarily miles better; they're repeating their levels of consistency, and that's all they're going to have to do this year to win the league. They're not going to have to go and get 100 points, they're not going to have to get even 90 or 95 points to win the league, mid-80s, high 80s will win them this title, and they can do that.

"I mentioned before about the other teams [being] inconsistent and unreliable, that's not this Arsenal team. They're very reliable. You can trust them.

"The way in which they defend is fantastic. They're all around each other. They don't concede goals. They've got a threat up front in multiple areas.

"They've not got a sensational centre-forward, but they've got a battering ram up there as honest as a day's long, and that can work for them. They've got [Eberechi] Eze, they've got so they've got [Noni] Madueke, [Gabriel] Martinelli, [Leandro] Trossard, lots of players who can contribute goals. They've got [Declan] Rice who can obviously deliver in set-pieces. They've got four fantastic full-backs and three excellent centre-backs."

The Gunners are next in action at home to Brighton & Hove Albion in the League Cup on Wednesday as they look to move one step closer to ending their five-year trophy drought. Arsenal then face a trip to Burnley on Saturday in the league - looking to maintain their four-point lead at the top of the table.